Hello there! And welcome to Dandelion Seeds, an illustrated newsletter in search of beauty and wonder in the world.
My name is Candace Rose Rardon, and I’m a writer, artist, and mom of two little girls based in Antwerp, Belgium.
Once a week, I share a short illustrated essay, hand-painted and hand-lettered, from my desk to yours. Like wishing on a dandelion, I hope it’ll bring a moment of beauty and wonder to your day.
Why illustrated essays?
I’ve loved writing and drawing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn’t until a few years ago that I began bringing my two worlds together in a new way:
With hand-painted, hand-lettered illustrated essays.
In 2017, I created my first illustrated essay for the storytelling site Longreads. It was called “Home is a Cup of Tea,” and it told the story of my search for home through the different teas I discovered while traveling.
Not only is it the piece I’m still most proud of creating — Longreads even selected it as one of their ten favorite original essays from the past 13 years — but it was also the most fun I’ve ever had as a writer and artist.
I’m thrilled to be creating illustrated essays again, right here on Dandelion Seeds — about everything from blackbirds and tea and to the wonder of window seats. I couldn’t think of a better place to experiment with storytelling than Substack, and I especially can’t wait to see how feedback from you informs the stories I share.
Why Dandelion Seeds?
When our daughter Elena was a few months old, my husband Jose and I started reading Richard Scarry’s I Am a Bunny to her.
It’s a classic board book featuring a little bunny named Nicholas as he experiences the passing of the seasons — from chasing butterflies in the spring, to watching the leaves fall in autumn, to watching snow fall in the winter.
But it’s during the summer that one of our favorite passages is set:
“I blow the dandelion seeds into the air.”
When it came time to choose a name for this newsletter, those downy seeds came sailing back to me — as a fitting symbol for life as both a mom and a creative.
Our days are filled with so many small moments, which sometimes feel scattered and hard to hold onto. But bring them together, and what they all add up to is the joy that carries our days and the dreams we have for our loved ones and ourselves.
When you subscribe:
Every Tuesday morning, I publish a short illustrated essay, hand-painted and hand-lettered — just long enough to enjoy while your coffee brews. When you subscribe, every new story goes directly to your inbox, so you won’t miss a thing. You can also read it on the website, or in the Substack app.
Thank you for being here, and I hope you’ll be inspired to notice the dandelion seeds in your own days.
With love,
Candace
